To generate 25,000 jobs for both the skilled and semi-skilled workforce

NEW DELHI: Revenue earnings of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation are likely to increase by about 194 per cent over the next three years with most of its space getting rented out for commercial utilisation and advertisements besides a vast majority of road users opting for the Metro during the period, an ASSOCHAM forecast paper has stated.

The study on “Future’s Revenue Growth of DMRC by 2011” envisages that through rentals alone, the organisation would raise revenue of over Rs.850 crore and from ticket-sales it is expected to earn nearly Rs.700 crore.

Besides, Rs.600 crore would be earned through allocation of space for advertisements.

Releasing the paper, ASSOCHAM secretary general D.S. Rawat said Metro stations would be filled with ATM machines and food stalls. In percentage terms, DMRC would earn 39 per cent of its revenue by leasing out space for commercial use; and about 33 per cent and 28 per cent through sale of tickets and space allocation to advertisers, respectively. In 2007, the DMRC revenue earning stood at Rs.730 crore, said Mr. Rawat. After three years, the revenue is expected to touch Rs.2,100 crore.

The expansion of Metro projects would result in generation of 25,000 jobs for both the skilled and the semi-skilled workforce.

The paper points out that till now the DMRC has not been able to rent out more than 40 per cent of its space for commercial gains. According to ASSOCHAM, the maximum advertisement opportunities the Metro can get is through the booming real estate, retail, banks, IT and BPO fields, electronic media and manufacturers of consumer goods. Delhi Metro will also help solve major traffic problems faced by the residents of the National Capital Region, said an ASSOCHAM release.

According to the organisation, about 42 crore man hours are lost every month as about 70 lakh working people in NCR lose about 2.5 hours per day in commuting to their destinations. It also stated that the Metro would provide big relief to the commuters in the NCR, particularly those living in Meerut, Modi Nagar, Ghaziabad and Loni as it will reduce the travel time to these places from South Delhi from nearly two to three hours at present to around 45 minutes.